Fire-extinguishing composition



PHILLIP A. CROSBY, OF ALTON, AND RALPH R. MATTHEWS, OF WOOD RIVER, ILLINOIS,

AND RALPH B. HIGH, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO ROXAN A PETRO- LEUM COMPANY OF OKLAHOMA, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

OKLAHOMA.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, PHILLIP A. CROSBY, RALPH R. MATTHEWS, and RALPH B. HIGH, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Alton, Illinois; Wood River, Illinois, and Oakland, California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Extinguishing Compositions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to compositions or compounds of the kind that are used for extinguishing a fire or for protecting a substance from fire, and particularly to fire extinguishing compositions of the class that comprise ingredients which are adapted to be mixed or brought together so-as to produce a viscous foam containing a non-combustible gas that acts as a blanket which exeludes air from the fire to be extinguished or from the substance to be protected from fire.

' The fire extinguishing compounds of the type referred to now in use generally con sist of an aluminum sulfate solution, a sodium bicarbonate solution and an agent or medium combined with one of said solutions that will produce a foam when said solutions are brought together, and thus tend to prevent the free escape of the noncombustible carbonic acid gas (CO produced by the union of the ingredients in said solutions, said foam producing medium usually consisting of glue, glucose, soap bark, or a secondary extract of licorice.

The main object of our invention is to provide a composition or compound for eX- tinguishing fire or for protecting a substance from fire, which contains a medium or agent that produces a foam which is tougher, v and consequently, of greater smothering value than the foam produced by the fire extinguishing compounds now in general use.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive and efficient fire extinguishing composition in which the foam producing agent will not lose its foam producing properties by long standing.

And still another object is to provide a fire extinguishing composition containing a Application filed August 8, 1919. Serial No. 316,069.

foam producing agent or medium that will enter into chemical reaction with one or more of the agents used to produce the noncombustible gas.

To this end we have devised a'composition consisting of two solutions, which, upon bemg mixed or brought together, will produce anon-combustible gas, and a protein comblned with one of said solutions. Various proteins can be used but we prefer to use a phosphoprotein, preferably any commercial grade of casein. The agents from which the gas producing solutions are formed may vary, but we prefer to use an aluminum sulfate solution consisting of approximately 16 parts of aluminum sulfate, of 1 part of sulfuric acid and 83% parts of water and a sodium bicarbonate solution consisting of approximately 8 parts of sodium bicarbonate and 90 parts of water. The casein is mixed with the sodium bicarbonate solution and usually forms about 2 parts of said solution. When the casein is added to the bicarbonate solution most of the casein goes into solution as sodium caseinate. Thereafter, when the two solutions are brought together the aluminum sulfate reacts with the sodium caseinate forming aluminum caseinate, also precipitating any casein which may be in solution as such. Theabove chemical reaction produces an exceedingly tough foam composed of minute bubbles of carbon dioxid gas (CO through which fire cannot break or penetrate.

The composition just described is used in the same manner as analogous fire extinguishing compositions now on the market, namely, the aluminum sulfate solution and the sodium bicarbonate solution containing the foam producing agent, are mixed or brought together just before they are thrown onto the fire or onto the substance to be protected from fire. Such a co mpos1- tion is capable of various uses, but 1t s especially applicable to extinguishing o1l fires, due tothe fact that when it is prO ected onto the surface of a tank of burning oil, it will spread out and form a practically solid blanket or sheet of foam whose peripheral edge portion is tough enough to prevent tongues of flame from pe netratmg into the blanket. Our improved fire ex-.

tinguishing composition is not only efficient,

inexpensive and easy to manufacture, but it apparently can be stored indefinitely without, liability of the casein in same losing its foam producing properties. While we have I stated that casein is preferably used as the foam producing medium of the composition, We wish it to be understood that our invention is not limited to a composition comprising casein, for the desirable results above referred to can be accomplished" with any 1 protein soluble in an alkaline solution and readily precipitated by the addition of an acid, a metallic salt, or both.

Having thus described our invention,

what we claim as-new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is Y 1. A composition for extinguishing fire, composed of sodium bicarbonate, casein and Water.

2. A composition for extinguishing fire, composed'of sodium bicarbonate, a phosphoprotein and, Water.

3. A composition for extinguishing fire,

composed of water approximately 90 parts,

tions being adapted to bemixed so as to produce a non-combustible gas that is retained as a foam by the precipitated alum1- num caseinate and aluminum hydroxidtogether to produce anon-combustible gas, one of said SOlUiDIOIIS'COHtalIIiHg aluminum tion containing sodium bicarbonate and casein.

PHILLIP A. CROSBY. RALPH R. MATTHEW S. RALPH B. HIGH.

sulfateand sulfuric acid and the other solu- 40. P

5. Coacting solutions for extinguishing fire, that are adapted to be mixed or-brought 

